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Friday, October 13, 2017

Here is my Third Freebie Pattern Friday post. As with the others, you need to go down to the end of the post and comment on THIS post and whatever other Freebie Pattern Friday post you want the pattern to. So if you want three patterns, then you need to leave 3 different comments on the relevant posts. AND then you need to contact me using the Contact Form on the side of this post so that I have your email address to send my free pattern to. If you have questions, please ask.

Anyway, here is the pattern!! I'm celebrating my 20th Anniversary this week and so I decided I wanted to share a fun pattern with you... it was inspired by olives in a martini glass. I don't know what it is about a martini glass with olives and alcohol... I've only ever had one in my life and it was terrible. I assume it was because it was made with cheap gin, but who knows. The idea of a martini evokes celebrating to me... I guess because it isn't something that would be had every day? I don't know. I don't drink very often.

So, the cuff is made with Odd Count 2-Drop Peyote Stitch.... probably my favorite stitch. The pic is from a few years ago before New Years Eve... it was made for celebrating. I hope you enjoy it.

If you want the featured free pattern, you just have to do TWO things:

Comment on my blog (... a little more than just I want the free pattern, please :-)) - You can find the spot to comment down at the end of this post.

AND
send me an email so that I can email the PDF to you... the comments form on my blog does not give me your email address... without your
email address, I cannot send it... it is located next to this post or at the top of the page under "copyscape" or on the right as you are looking at the screen.

What Is Not
Included:

Directions for loom or square stitch are not included

Directions for finishing
the cuff are not included, i.e. picot edging, attaching to leather, adding
loops and toggles or buttons.

Word
chart of the
pattern is not included (I like to cut down on the use of paper and
these bracelets really aren't big enough or complex enough to really
require a Word chart.)

Adobe Reader for
viewing the PDF file

***
If you use my pattern, please be kind and give me the credit as the
designer, ie beaded by Joe Shmoe and Designed by 3 Peeps Designs.I don't mind if you sell your completed project for bead money, but I want design credit. Why
do I want design credit? Well, I do still sell some of my patterns and I
use the money to buy beads. It isn't a business, it is for fun. Seeing
my designs in your shop (or anywhere else) without the design credit
takes all of the fun away... and I will take steps to have the photo
removed.. This is fun, I'm trying to be charitable, and I design a lot
more than I have a chance to bead... and I know there are others who
don't like to design, but do enjoy beading. As soon as Free Pattern
Friday stops being fun, I will stop doing it. Anyway, I plan on
starting this on Friday, September 15th, 2017 so please come back!

***
And just because I am offering my patterns for free does not mean
you can just pass it around to your friends. Please, have them come to
my blog and comment, etc in order to get their own copy. * I know most
of you don't need to be reminded of beady etiquette, but some of you do
and I'm just trying to keep it real.

I
apologize for not having some sort of automatic download of the pattern
on the blog, but I don't know how to do it and I don't want to learn
right now. I like the interaction that commenting and then sending an
email requires. If you're on Facebook, send me a friend request! I'm
trying to fill my FB feed up with beadwork rather than anything too
serious.

Monday, October 02, 2017

In August I participated in my first bead-a-long with one of the FB beading groups. The main subject was Huichol Beading. The patterns presented were from a couple of different sources and one I found while on Pinterest. I had been interested in this style for quite a while, but hadn't done any beading in August because I wasn't in the mood. We had to say goodbye to one of our dogs. She had been with us forever and has left a big hole in our hearts. Anyway, now is not the time, otherwise I'll just start crying and not finish this post.

Anyway, here is a pic of all of the ones I did over the last couple of days of August. One of the flowers is from Kat Adair. Notice I did one in size 11/0 Czech beads, then did a couple in size 13/0 Czech Cut Beads and then 15/0 seed beads (mixed brands.) The other was done using a couple of videos by BeadingByMiroslavo, I cannot find the specific videos anymore because Youtube removed all of the videos. The lady that translates the videos is doing it all again and getting them uploaded again when she has the chance. Just do a search and all kinds of patterns come up.

These next two photos show what happened when I used Protecta Clear on the beads to stiffen up the beadwork. The opaque beads are a-okay, but the transparent ones bled a bit. I don't really mind in this instance because it just made the white beads pink. I will have to keep this in mind, though, when using the Protecta Clear in the future. This was my first time using the Protecta Clear and I had purchased it from Amazon. It did a great job stiffening up the flowers and now I just need to put ear wires on them.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Here is the Second Freebie Friday Pattern.... I present my Loom/Square stitch Sugar Skull pattern. Again, October is nearly here and I figured why not? Sugar Skulls are so popular and not everyone likes to do Peyote stitch. I really like this pattern.... the Sugar Skulls in the background are almost ghostly.

If you don't like Sugar Skulls or want a pattern I offered for free a few years ago for the Halloween season, please go see my post about a spider and a web.

If you want the featured free pattern, you just have to do TWO things:

Comment
on my blog (... a little more than just I want the free pattern, please
:-)) - You can find the spot to comment down at the end of this post.

AND
send me an email so that I can email the PDF to you... the comments
form on my blog does not give me your email address... without your
email address, I cannot send it... it is located next to this post or at
the top of the page under "copyscape" or on the right as you are
looking at the screen.

What Is Not
Included:

Directions for loom or square stitch are not included

Directions for finishing
the cuff are not included, i.e. picot edging, attaching to leather, adding
loops and toggles or buttons.

Word chart of the
pattern is not included (I like to cut down on the use of paper and these bracelets really aren't big enough or complex enough to really require a Word chart.)

Adobe Reader for
viewing the PDF file

***
If you use my pattern, please be kind and give me the credit as the
designer, ie beaded by Joe Shmoe and Designed by 3 Peeps Designs.I don't mind if you sell your completed project for bead money, but I want design credit. Why
do I want design credit? Well, I do still sell some of my patterns and I
use the money to buy beads. It isn't a business, it is for fun. Seeing
my designs in your shop (or anywhere else) without the design credit
takes all of the fun away... and I will take steps to have the photo
removed.. This is fun, I'm trying to be charitable, and I design a lot
more than I have a chance to bead... and I know there are others who
don't like to design, but do enjoy beading. As soon as Free Pattern
Friday stops being fun, I will stop doing it. Anyway, I plan on
starting this on Friday, September 15th, 2017 so please come back!

***
And just because I am offering my patterns for free does not mean
you can just pass it around to your friends. Please, have them come to
my blog and comment, etc in order to get their own copy. * I know most
of you don't need to be reminded of beady etiquette, but some of you do
and I'm just trying to keep it real.

I
apologize for not having some sort of automatic download of the pattern
on the blog, but I don't know how to do it and I don't want to learn
right now. I like the interaction that commenting and then sending an
email requires. If you're on Facebook, send me a friend request! I'm
trying to fill my FB feed up with beadwork rather than anything too
serious.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Today is just an update of what I've finished on my bead boards... it's never as much as I want, but it is progress.

The first two photos are of my finished box! It was designed by Julia S. Pretl and beaded by me... it took a little longer than it should have due to the weekend... I never get as much beading done as I would like. Anyway, beading the box was fun and took me out of my comfort zone just a little bit. The hardest part was the hem, but by taking breaks to digest the directions really seemed to help. This project was part of a Facebook group bead-a-long for a box called Wildflowers. I don't normally participate, but it looked like fun. And, Julia S. Pretl has a book (well, she has many books,) which I've had for years and just never made the time to make any of the boxes. It is called Little Bead Boxes.

This third photo is of the finished rosaries. I completed five and those containers contain the beads and findings for 9 more rosaries. They will be a forever ongoing project. It's always good to have extra on hand and I usually end up giving some away or I find more beads that would make great rosaries. If you're curious about praying the rosary, go to this link.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

**Please excuse the spacing on this post... I don't know what is going on, but I need to get to bed so I will come back later to figure it out. As always, don't be shy, please leave a comment!

Bead Table Wednesday will be a new appearance to my blog. I'm doing it to show you what I'm up to and to help inspire me to get it done. I have four boards going today... lots of stuff in my head, lots of stuff I need to learn, lots of stuff I'm curious about, and lots of stuff I want to get done.

This purple board is of a triangle box from a Julia S. Pretl pattern and it's part of a bead-a-long for one of the Facebook bead groups I belong to. I'm trying to get better at reading patterns and following written directions by someone else. I do pretty good following my patterns (duh!) and following videos, but it's very rare for me to actually be able to follow other directions. I need a combination of very well written directions and pictures... not just computer generated graphics, but actual photos of the beadwork in progress. I figure if I get enough experience, it will make it easier. I just currently finished the hem on this box and it was a booger! I'm hoping the hem on the lid goes better.

This is a future rosary. As far as I'm concerned you cannot have too many and what you don't see on the outside of the board is a bunch more beads, counted and sorted for a few more rosaries.... maybe ten in all.

This burgundy board has a bunch of orange and blue beaded paw prints (beaded by me from my pattern... one of the first patterns I ever did for myself.) They will be sewn onto leather and Ultrasuede for a couple of bracelets for my daughter. Her college has a tiger as the mascot and the colors are orange and blue. I hope to get going on these tomorrow... I need to cut the leather to the right length, add a curved edge and snaps before I start to attach them and add an edging.

And last, but not least, is a pattern I made from vintage Catholic line art of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I started working on it a couple of months ago, I'm on row 165 and have 400 rows or so to go. Its a labor of love. I made a couple of other tapestries of the Blessed Virgin Mary and gave them away after working on each one for several months. This one is for me. I have a wall all picked out and will need to find a big, vintage frame for it. I'm very pleased with how it is turning out. I will write other posts about my previous tapestries... they need to be seen. And I also, at some point, will be sharing the patterns. I just need to write them out. And there you have it. I have ideas of future blog posts..... maybe a Monday Musings and another to talk about products or techniques. Okay, time for bed... my little companion, Mr. Waffles, is very tired and I have to be up early tomorrow, but I let the day get away from me working on the box and that pesky hem.

Friday, September 15, 2017

As I posted two days ago, I am going to start posting on my blog again... on a regular basis. *Gasp* I know, I know, but my schedule is opening up... there have been big changes since we relocated and so I can get back to this.

I plan on doing a Freebie Pattern Friday post twice a month... if my brain is over-productive, I may add more. What is the point of designing if I never seen them beaded up? Now, these free patterns will most likely be flat peyote, brick or loom because that is what I do. Keep in mind, I still sell other patterns in my Zibbet shop, but if I decide to offer one of those patterns in my freebie patterns, I will remove the listing in my shop. And, I also still occasionally sell completed items in my shop, so take a peak once in a while.

Anyway, here is the pattern that I am offering for my First Freebie Pattern Friday:

I chose this pattern as the first one because it's getting close to Halloween and The Day of the Dead, it's a popular pattern of mine, AND because the earrings are my most stolen pattern. Yup! That is right. When someone decides to "borrow" from my work, they always seem to choose these Sugar Skulls. I don't know why, I can never seem to get an answer *SMH*. I've gotten several people to remove the copied beadwork, and an apology and promise not to do it again. I'm not sure why they do it as I've always said, ask, I may say yes... and I usually do. Anyway, since they are so popular and people are being rude, I thought I would try and take the compulsion to steal my work away. So, here they are offered for free. The pattern includes the bracelet, and 8 different Sugar Skull earrings! If you use 15/0 Delica seed beads, the earrings will be on the smaller side and it goes up from there.

And to repeat... the conditions that need to be met in order to receive the free pattern are as follows:

If you want the featured free pattern, you just have to do two things:

Comment
on my blog (... a little more than just I want the free pattern, please
:-)) - You can find the spot to comment down at the end of this post.

AND
send me an email so that I can email the PDF to you... the comments
form on my blog does not give me your email address... without your
email address, I cannot send it... it is located next to this post or at
the top of the page under "copyscape" or on the right as you are
looking at the screen.

What Is Not
Included:

Directions for peyote stitch are not included

Directions for finishing
the cuff are not included, i.e. picot edging, attaching to leather, adding
loops and toggles or buttons.

Word chart of the
pattern is not included (I like to cut down on the use of paper and I
laminate the color chart so that I just have to print it once but can
reuse many times)

Adobe Reader for
viewing the PDF file

***
If you use my pattern, please be kind and give me the credit as the
designer, ie beaded by Joe Shmoe and Designed by 3 Peeps Designs.I don't mind if you sell your completed project for bead money, but I want design credit. Why
do I want design credit? Well, I do still sell some of my patterns and I
use the money to buy beads. It isn't a business, it is for fun. Seeing
my designs in your shop (or anywhere else) without the design credit
takes all of the fun away... and I will take steps to have the photo
removed.. This is fun, I'm trying to be charitable, and I design a lot
more than I have a chance to bead... and I know there are others who
don't like to design, but do enjoy beading. As soon as Free Pattern
Friday stops being fun, I will stop doing it. Anyway, I plan on
starting this on Friday, September 15th, 2017 so please come back!

***
And just because I am offering my patterns for free does not mean
you can just pass it around to your friends. Please, have them come to
my blog and comment, etc in order to get their own copy. * I know most
of you don't need to be reminded of beady etiquette, but some of you do
and I'm just trying to keep it real.

I apologize for not having some sort of automatic download of the pattern on the blog, but I don't know how to do it and I don't want to learn right now. I like the interaction that commenting and then sending an email requires. If you're on Facebook, send me a friend request! I'm trying to fill my FB feed up with beadwork rather than anything too serious.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Hi there! I have some good news.... the move has gone well, we are settled in, and now that we are no longer fostering dogs, I have some free time. Free time means I can start contributing to my blog again! Free time means more beading! I'm very excited!!

As a regular feature and a thank you for reading my blog, I am going to start posting a "Free Pattern Friday" post. You guessed it, it will feature one free pattern from me and I will do this twice a month, maybe more.

If you want the featured free pattern, you just have to do two things:

Comment on my blog (... a little more than just I want the free pattern, please :-))

AND send me an email so that I can email the PDF to you... the comments section on my blog does not give me your email address... without your email address, I cannot send it.

-->

What Is Not
Included:

Directions for peyote stitch are not included

Directions for finishing
the cuff are not included, i.e. picot edging, attaching to leather, adding
loops and toggles or buttons.

Word chart of the
pattern is not included (I like to cut down on the use of paper and I
laminate the color chart so that I just have to print it once but can
reuse many times)

Adobe Reader for
viewing the PDF file

*** If you use my pattern, please be kind and give me the credit as the designer, ie beaded by Joe Shmoe and Designed by 3 Peeps Designs.I don't mind if you sell your completed project for bead money, but I want design credit. Why do I want design credit? Well, I do still sell some of my patterns and I use the money to buy beads. It isn't a business, it is for fun. Seeing my designs in your shop (or anywhere else) without the design credit takes all of the fun away... and I will take steps to have the photo removed.. This is fun, I'm trying to be charitable, and I design a lot more than I have a chance to bead... and I know there are others who don't like to design, but do enjoy beading. As soon as Free Pattern Friday stops being fun, I will stop doing it. Anyway, I plan on starting this on Friday, September 15th, 2017 so please come back!

*** And just because I am offering my patterns for free does not mean
you can just pass it around to your friends. Please, have them come to
my blog and comment, etc in order to get their own copy. * I know most of you don't need to be reminded of beady etiquette, but some of you do and I'm just trying to keep it real.

Friday, April 28, 2017

Gosh, time sure does fly! I cannot believe I have not posted in over a year. Bad, bad Mona! I have no real excuses, I've written things in my head, begun posts a hundred times, but simply never made the time to actually do it. I am sorry.

A lot has happened in the last 15 months or so. We moved. Again. Yup. We moved, again. This came in the form of my husband's company closing their Memphis location. We had the option to move with the job to New Jersey, but we said no way! No offense, but it wasn't as if the job location was in a nice part of the state and the cost of living was way too high. No thanks. I don't do crowds. Not at all. I think I have a problem. It isn't unusual for me to go to a store to shop and once I get there simply stay in the car and say forget it, its too crowded for me. And we didn't want to trade the high crime of Memphis to the high crime of New Jersey. And the job morale is rather low.

Anyway, so the job search started back in July (got the notice in June) and in the fall my husband started getting hints that someone in one of the other company locations wanted to hire him. The job market wasn't exactly hot and we were starting to get nervous. This position would allow us to stay in Tennessee, but move to the beautiful side of the state. So, we could continue not paying state income taxes, we wouldn't have to get new driver licenses and pay new tax, tags. titles. The homeschool laws don't change. And my daughter would be able to keep and use the Tennessee Lottery Scholarship. And, she was leaning towards a vet tech degree and there is a community college here that offers it (the degree isn't offered everywhere, which was surprising to me.) And we would be closer to family by a few hours. So, by the end of December we had a promise of a job position and salary. We did have another offer on the table (and a couple not worth mentioning in Memphis because the salary and benefits were laughable.) We really tried to make a job offer work in Savannah, GA, but the boss wasn't an honest man. Constant wheeling and dealing in the negotiating process.... something was offered and later taken away as if never offered. Working for someone like that would have been a nightmare.

So, we listed our house at the end of January of this year, had three offers at the end of the first week and we were under contract shortly thereafter. It was nice finally being in the market to sell a house while the market was hot! All of the staging and putting away of crafts and projects and putting a stop to our fostering was worth it.

Here are some photos of our house for staging.

All that I can say about selling a house is - do the work. Put your stuff away. Stage it following the realtor's suggestions for photos and then stage it again for every day living. It's a balancing act! Be prepared for showings at the last minute... 15 minutes notice, anyone? We had our first showing 3 hours after the listing went live while we were eating brunch after Mass (the call came an hour after it went live.) You can say no to showings, but the key is to get the house seen as much as possible. It isn't convenient, we saw our fair share of weirdos, but being "on call" for showings was totally worth it.

And when I say "on call" I mean answering the phone when the realtor office calls or installing their nifty app that notifies you almost instantly when there is a request for a showing and approve that request as soon as you can. Getting up early and making sure the house is clean and organized. Put away your valuables, clean up the dishes, put the clean clothes away and the dirty clothes in the wash. We had 4 dogs and 3 cats to get out of the house along with us humans, I think the dogs fell into the chaos and reward of a car ride faster than we did! In a hot market, that means eating dinner late most nights, but again, its worth it, it just means you need to be really flexible schedule-wise or be good with flying by the seat of your pants.

And as busy as you thing the selling part is, it gets a little busier with having to deal with a relocation company (they didn't actually streamline the process, in fact they just plain sucked,) and then the inspections and all of that. Be timely with the responses, don't be the one the realtors and buyers are waiting to hear from.

So, if you need the name of a FANTASTIC realtor in the Memphis are, message me and I'll get you her name.